Run Away Family
by The Night Ninja
Summary: Pony, Johnny, and Dally run away to start a new life and family on a farm in Canada, where they mature and prosper. Pony/Johnny/Dally, warning Mpreg, don't like don't read. used to be in my one-shot series now it's own story.
1. Fleeing

**Ok so this is a Pony/Johnny/Dally fic, it's also Mpreg so if you don't like that don't read it, do not worry there is nothing descriptive and everything is pure fluff. The request is courtesy of Taylor Y.**

Ponyboy and Johnny were waiting for Dally up in Windrixville, Ponyboy was super nervous to tell his two boyfriends something.

"Pone, honey, you seem on edge lately, is everything alright love?" asked Johnny softly as he pulled his boyfriend close, they had been dating for a while before Dally joined the relationship and Pony was very happy having two men who loved him more than anything.

"I-I have to tell you and Dally something but I'm really worried," said Ponyboy

"Why don't you tell me first then I can help you deal with Dally if its something he won't like," said Johnny softly, caressing Pony's cheek

"I'm pregnant," said Ponyboy. Johnny looked shocked

"How, I thought it was impossible for guys to get pregnant," said Johnny

"I don't really understand how but for some reason I guess I was born with a fully functional female reproductive system as well as a male reproductive system, I don't know thats just what the doctor said when i went because i wasn't feeling well, i told the doctor not to tell Darry because I wanted to tell you and Dally first" said Pony

"How long," asked Johnny, gently holding Ponyboy close to him, all three of them were way too young to be parents but Johnny vowed to at least be better than his own parents were

"Three weeks," said Pony "Darry's going to kill me"

"Shhhh, no he won't because as soon as Dally gets here we'll tell him and move far away" soothed Johnny

"But what if Dally doesn't want the kid" whimpered Pony

"Baby ever since the three of us started dating all he's talked about is wanting to start a family, he'll be thrilled," said Johnny

"But where will we go?" asked Ponyboy

"We'll change our names and Dally can get fake passports and licenses and we'll go to Canada and live there, start a farm, raise our family, we can be happy," said Johnny. True to Johnny's predictions Dally was ecstatic and quickly got in contact with an acquaintance of his in Canada that that had a small farm they could live on and could get them in legally so long as Ponyboy changed his name to Pepper Michelle Cade and dressed in drag. Dally went back to Tulsa to get all of Pony's stuff and leave a note for the gang.

_Dear guys_

_Johnny and Dally and I have run away to start a new life together, please don't look for us, this is for the best._

_-Ponyboy Curtis_

Dally also bought train tickets and got the passports to go to Canada through his friend. The three of them left and were on the train, Ponyboy snuggled on Dally's lap. Once they got to the farm that was going to be their new home they quickly read up on agriculture and medicine, if they were going to be self-sustaining they had to get good quickly. After a few months, the farm was blossoming into a highly productive farm, in fact by the time the baby would be born they'd have money to buy even more land. Dally had a green thumb and Johnny was an excellent cook and after reading, loads of medical books knew how to perform most medical practices. Ponyboy currently wasn't allowed to do very much around the house, Johnny and Dally were kinda paranoid and overprotective. Their first winter had been hard but they survived thanks to being prepared, that and Johnny's crazy ability to soak up knowledge like a sponge. Pony was now 8 months along and his mood swings and cravings weren't helping matters.

"Johnny I want strawberry ice cream on top of lasagna" whined Pony, Johnny tried not to make a face at the thought of such an awful combination

"Of course love," said Johnny as he got the strange combination ready, Ponyboy devoured it.  
"Johnny, can you get Dally? I need cuddles" said Ponyboy

"Baby he's preparing the fields for planting, I can snuggle with you though," said Johnny as he climbed into the bed next to Pony and pulled him close

"Fine," said Pony, he got into these moods where he wanted to be held by a specific one of his boyfriends but had to settle for the one that was available.

"Just think, next month we're going to have a little baby boy or girl in our arms," said Johnny, gently caressing Pony's baby bump.

"Yeah, now shut up and hold me," said Pony, cuddling into Johnny. Soon Dally came back in from the field, he was sweaty and covered in dirt as he walked into the bedroom to change

"Ah good, Dally your back, Pony needs cuddles and i need to start dinner," said Johnny

"I have to take a shower first," said Dally

"No, cuddles first" Pony demanded

"But baby I'm sweaty and covered in mud," said Dally

"I don't care," said Pony, pulling Dally into the bed and cuddling into him, enjoying the scent of sweat and earth that clung to Dally

"Baby I smell terrible I need to take a shower before I can cuddle you," said Dally

"No, I like it when you smell like this, stay," said Pony, his grip tightening around his boyfriend. Dally smirked, as long as Pony was happy he could forgo a shower for a little bit, Johnny would be annoyed about having to wash the sheets again, it was a pain in the neck to do laundry without a washing machine.

"I hate being on bed rest" grumbled Pony as he buried his face into Dally's chest

"I know you do but Johnny wants to take as many precautions as possible, it's just until the baby is born" soothed Dally, gently stroking Pony's large baby bump

"I thought you didn't like little kids" teased Pony

"I don't like other people's kids, my own kids are a different story." said Dally

"Ever wonder how the rest of the gang is doing?" asked Pony

"Sometimes, but then I think of all that we escaped and I can't be happier to be right here," said Dally. Johnny came back into the room and saw a filthy Dally on the white sheets

"DALLAS WHAT THE HELL IT TOOK ME THREE HOURS TO WASH THAT COMFORTER!" shouted Johnny

"Time's up love," said Dally kissing Pony as he got out of bed, Pony huffed annoyedly.

"If Johnny is going to wash the sheets someone needs to carry me to my favorite chair". Dally lifted Pony out of the bed, careful not to complain about how much heavier his boyfriend had gotten, last time he did that he was made to sleep in the barn. He set Pony in the rocking chair in the corner and gave him one of his books

"Pony honey I'm going to be tidying up in here for a while, how about you read a little bit of Gone With the Wind to kill time," said Johnny

"Fine but I want my pillow, my back is killing me and this wooden chair isn't making it better" griped Pony, he hated being moody but he couldn't control it, thankfully Johnny and Dally were so understanding.

"Here," said Johnny giving Pony his favorite pillow and the knitted blanket as well as his slippers, they had both learned to just give in when Pony wanted something, lest they be forced to sleep in the barn or on the couch. Johnny changed the sheets and swept the floor as Pony read and Dally took a shower. Johnny was grumbling about the mud everywhere.

"I'm sorry Johnny, I'm the one who asked him to lay down with me, it's my fault the sheets are a mess, he wanted to get up and shower but I wouldn't let him, I'm sorry I caused you so much more work" apologized Pony, sad that he had made Johnny upset. Johnny put the mop down and walked over to his boyfriend and pulled him close

"Pone, baby, it's not your fault, I'm just being grouchy because I'm stressed, you wanted to cuddle and Dally was available, I'm not mad at you, I'm more mad at myself for picking white sheets over dark blue, the white is harder to clean and that's why I'm annoyed" soothed Johnny

"I'm sorry I've been so difficult lately, i don't know what's gotten into me, I'm sorry I can't help you with the chores" whimpered Pony

"It's your hormones, the baby is making them completely out of whack, it's not your fault and I'd rather you be in bed than cleaning the house with me. If you're in bed I know you aren't stressing yourself, it's safer for you and the baby" soothed Johnny

"I love you," said Pony, leaning against Johnny's chest

"I love you too Pone, so, so, so much," said Johnny, gently rubbing Pony's back. Pony suddenly gave a hiss in pain causing Johnny to become concerned

"Sweetie what's wrong"

"Nothing, the baby just kicked my spine," said Pony

"Well you just relax for a bit while I finish changing these sheets, I'll make Dally do the laundry while I give you a nice back rub," said Johnny, Pony smiled and relaxed back into the rocking chair and grabbed the blanket he had been teaching himself to knit. Dally came out of the shower in a towel and Johnny handed the hoodlum the pile of dirty laundry

"Put some clothes on and wash these," said Johnny

"Fine" growled Dally, Pony giggled and Dally kissed his boyfriend before walking out the door to their laundry room. Johnny carried Pony back to bed after he had changed the sheets and got in next to his boyfriend, intending to cuddle for a long time. A month later Pony held a baby girl and a baby boy in his arms, the girl had black eyes and blond hair while the boy had greenish blue eyes and black hair. Their names were Ebony Snow Cade and Jackson Cola Cade. Pony was exhausted but very happy. After a few years, the small family had all but forgotten Tulsa until one day there was a knock on the door.

"I GOT IT" shouted a six year old Ebony as she ran to the door, opening it to find a very tall very muscly man who kinda looked like her mommy.

"Hello little one, are your parents home?" asked the man

"Who are you?" asked Ebony

"My name is Darry Curtis, I've been looking for my little brother for a long time," said Darry

"MAMA SOME GUY WANTS TO TALK TO YOU" shouted Ebony

"Ebony what have I told you about shouting in the….DARRY!" Ponyboy was shocked to see his brother. Pony lifted his daughter into his arms and looked at his big brother

"Pony I just put Alice down for a nap, why are you shouting?" asked Johnny coming to the door

"Ponyboy? Johnny? Is it really you?" asked Darry. Johnny took Ebony from Pony's arms as Pony hugged his big brother.

"How, how did you find us?" asked Pony

"It was mostly Soda, he got back from the war and said he had met someone there who had met someone who looked like Dally in the town close by here, we got a hold of the guy who gave you three the passports and talked to a few locals who said that this farm is the one that provides most of the produce in the region. Soda, Steve and Two-bit are waiting in the car" said Darry

"Mama who is this guy?" asked Jackson coming around the corner, holding Dally's hand, in Dally's other arm was their other son Jasper, who was only three months old like his twin sister Alice.

"Kids this is your uncle Darry," said Pony

"Pone, since when do you have kids, and why would the call you mama?" asked Darry kinda shocked

"Because I am their mom, I gave birth to them, some complicated medical reasons I don't fully understand made it possible, I was pregnant with Ebony and Jackson here when we first ran away, Alice and Jasper arrived just three months ago," said Pony. Suddenly Soda, Steve and Two-Bit came out of the car

"Darry what's taking so long? Is it them?" asked Soda, he looked a lot older, his movie star looks were still there but both him and Steve had evidently seen battle, Soda walked with a bit of a limp and Steve had a cane. Suddenly soda saw his long lost little brother and ran as fast as he could to hug him.

"PONY" shouted Soda pulling his little brother into his arms and choked back a sob

"Hey Soda," said Pony softly, hugging his older brother back.  
"I've missed you so much kiddo" sobbed Soda. The kids were really confused

"I've missed you too, Soda," said Pony softly.

"Alright, why don't you all come into the living room so we can talk," said Dally. The older twins sat on Pony's lap on the couch and Johnny and Dally sat on either side of their boyfriend before the sound of a crying baby halted them.

"Alice is awake," said Pony

"I got her," said Johnny getting up to retrieve their youngest daughter. Little Jasper had blue eyes and black hair while Alice looked like a carbon copy of Ponyboy.

"Dal you fed the animals this morning right?" asked Pony

"Of course love, I'm not an irresponsible farmer" chuckled Dally, suddenly the sound of a horse whinny came from behind the house followed by clopping hooves

"Drat, Lager got out of his stable again" sighed Pony

"You have horses?" asked Soda, his features lighting up

"Yes, three," said Pony

"Can we see them later?" asked Soda hopefully

"I suppose," said Pony. After several hours of explanations and getting caught up on each other's lives Pony, Johnny, and Dally showed the gang around. One of the horses took a particular shine to Soda.

"This big guy looks a bit like Mickey Mouse" exclaimed Soda

"That's Bourbon, he's the horse we ride when one of us goes to town, he's great with kids and loves apples," said Dally stroking the horse's muzzle

"What's your other horse's name?" asked Two-Bit

"Oh thats Malt, she's our plow horse, only lets Dally or the kids near her," said johnny

"Why are all your horses named after Alcohol?" asked Two-Bit, amused

" Bourbon got his name when he started drinking out of the glass of bourbon Dally had when he was buying him, Lager was found wandering the local brewery as a colt and Malt was found grazing in a field of barley after the field had flooded. We also have pigs, cows, chickens, and sheep" said Pony

"Can I ride bourbon? It's been a while since I've been on a horse" said Soda

"Sure, you can ride around the paddock, Dally can get him harnessed up" Said Pony. Soda looked so happy riding around the paddock.

"That's the happiest I've seen him since he came home from Nam," said Darry watching as Soda rode the horse around

"Darry, I-I'm sorry for being such a burden on you and I'm sorry for running away, I just was so scared about what you'd think and with how you had been so stressed I…." Pony started before Darry cut him off, pulling him into a hug.

"Pony, that night was entirely mine and the socs's fault, they dropped the murder charge after a month of searching after it was determined that you guys weren't around anymore and one of the socs said it was self defense, I just want all that put behind us and to move forward."

"But Dare we can't move back to Tulsa, we have a successful farm and animals and a home here and friends," said Pony

"I understand kiddo, can we at least visit on holidays and the kid's birthdays?" asked Darry

"I'd like that" smiled Pony. They watched as Ebony showed her favorite chicken to Two-Bit and Pony smiled, Two-Bit had a natural way with kids

"When are their birthdays?" asked Darry

"Ebony and Jackson were born on May third and Jasper and Alice were born June 9," said Pony

"Never thought I'd see Johnny with a goatee" said Darry with a small laugh, he had noticed that Pony had grown his hair out to the middle of his back and had stopped greasing it, Pony's features had taken on a more feminine look that was aided by just a little makeup and looser clothes.

"I bet you also never expected Dally to wear a stetson or flannel" laughed Pony

"Definitely" laughed Darry. Pony shifted his grip on his two youngest children before Darry noticed

"Pone do you think I could hold them for a bit? It's been a long time since I've been able to hold a baby" said Darry, thinking back to the last baby he had held being Ponyboy himself.

"Sure," said Pony gently transfering the twins into the arms of his big brother.

"Do you guys have anywhere to stay while you're here in Canada?" asked Pony

"No not yet," said Darry

"Well you could stay with us until you have to go home, it would be nice to have some extra help around here," said Pony

"I'd like that" smiled Darry as he gazed at the two little three month olds in his arms

"Just a warning though, Ebony has more of Dally's personality than you'd expect from a six year old" laughed Pony

"Noted" laughed darry watching as the little girl in question chased one of the chickens.

"Do you guys make your own syrup?" asked Steve looking around at all the tapped trees

'Steve this is Canada what do you think? Of course, we make our own syrup, and you guys are going to try some of Dally's special recipes tomorrow morning on pancakes, with eggs fresh from the chickens, homemade sausage from a pig we butchered ourselves and homemade bread, Johnny dose most of the cooking around here" smiled Pony

"Do you guys make your own butter?" asked Darry

"Of course, and our own preserves, Johnny opened a new jar of his strawberry jam just this morning, strawberries came from our farm and honey from our bees," said Pony

"Oooooh," said Darry, his mouth watering at the thought of all that wonderful food that they'd get to eat every time they come here.

"Actually it's almost dinner time," said Pony

"Do you need help?" asked Darry

"Nope, Johnny is possessive of his kitchen, only time Dally or I can do anything in there is during syrup season, you could help me get the kids cleaned up though," said Pony

"Sure little buddy" smiled Darry

"EBONY! JACKSON! It's almost dinner time get inside and clean up" said Pony

"Yes mama," said Ebony

"They are so well behaved, a lot better than you were" grinned Darry as him and Pony walked inside, Johnny had gone in about an hour ago to start dinner and it smelled like heaven in the house

"Johnny dose all his own canning and drying and Dally does the butchering and the syrup, if something looks pre prepped Johnny prepped it, nothing here comes from a store except the materials to do everything we do," said Pony

"Mama what's for dinner?" asked Jackson

"I think your Daddy is making spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread," said Pony

"YAY!" shouted Ebony. That night everyone ate in the living room because the dining room table was way too small to hold everyone. Dally lit a fire in the fireplace and the kids played with toys while the adults talked.

"Johnny if your going to be cooking for us we're going to gain thirty pounds," said Soda, full to bursting after four helpings of the best spaghetti he'd ever had combined with homemade red wine from Dally's cellar, the kids had grape juice.

"I agree, Johnny that was delicious," said Darry

"Thanks" smiled Johnny

"We'll be here for about two weeks if that's alright," said Soda

"That's fine, but Dally will probably put you guys to work in the fields," said Pony

"Fine by me, need to burn off all those calories," said Two-Bit

"Steve and Soda you two can help out more inside the house and garden and maybe help a bit with the livestock," said Johnny  
"Fine by us, just feed us more of that amazing food," said Soda

"Hope you guys are ready to be up at 4 in the morning, don't worry breakfast will be on the table when you get up, just put on old jeans and a t shirt you don't care about," said Pony.

"Um where will we all sleep?" asked Steve

"Soda you and Darry can stay in the guest bed, Steve we have a spare mattress we can drag out, Two-Bit you take the couch," said Pony before heading over to the closet and grabbing the spare pillows and blankets

"Where do the kids sleep?" asked Darry

"The older two each have their own room and the two younger one sleep in cribs in our room, Dally is in the processes of finishing an addition with more rooms, thankfully log cabins make adding rooms easy," said Pony. The house was indeed a two story log cabin with an attic, it was cozy and warm and felt like a home. Once all the guys were settled in and the kids were in bed, the animals secure in their appropriate buildings, Pony, Johnny and Dally got into their own bed, Pony snuggling into the two men beside him.

"What a day" yawned Dally

"Mhm" mumbled Pony

"How are you handling all this honey?" asked Dally gently turning Pony to face him

"I don't know yet" Pony whispered, Dally, pulled him close. In the other room, Darry and Soda lay awake

"We found him, at last, we have our family back together as much as it can be," said Soda happily

"They've changed so much, it's a bit scary," said Darry

"The kids are adorable, Jackson acts a bit like a combination of you and Dally that I'd never think possible" chuckled Soda

"True, I also never expected to feel less muscular that Dally of all people," said Darry

"I know, it's hilarious" laughed Soda

"Johnny is a really good cook," said Darry

"Yeah, and we each get to take some maple syrup home with us and some of his preserves and Dally said he's going to give us a bottle of his wine," said Soda happily

"Things really have changed," said Darry

"Yeah but for the better, we have nieces and nephews and we know where Pony is now," said Soda happily. Darry smiled everything was alright again.


	2. Together

**Part 2 of Runaway Family, be prepared for fluff**

"Soda you better not be using too much of that syrup, we only get one bottle four times a year" scolded Darry

"But dare how else am I supposed to make french toast" complained Soda as he dumped a good quarter cup of the syrup into the egg mixture

"Use the Mrs. Butterworth's," said Darry

"But it doesn't taste as good" complained Soda " and we're heading back up next week, also what do you care, you put strawberry jelly on everything, not syrup"

"I like the syrup in my coffee," said Darry

"I thought you drank it black?" said Soda

"Dally introduced me to maple syrup in coffee with hazelnut cream," said Darry

"I can't wait to see the kids next week" smiled Soda, he had bought a small mountain of toys for his nieces and nephews. Suddenly the phone rang.

"Hello?" answered Darry

"Hi uncie Darry" came the cute voice of little Alice

"Why hello Ally, how's my favorite little girl?" said Darry smiling

"Alice who are you talking to?" came Pony's voice

"Uncie Darry" she replied

"You called your uncle?" asked Pony taking the phone

"Hey Pone" chuckled Darry

"Oh, Hey Dare, I'm sorry Alice bothered you, I have no idea how she managed to use the phone by herself, the mystery of a three-year-old I guess," said Pony

"It's no problem little brother" laughed Darry

"MAMA I WANNA TALK TO UNCIE DARRY" shouted Alice

"Put her back on Pone, it's not every day our favorite kids call us" laughed Darry. Pony handed the phone back to his youngest daughter and sat on the couch pulling the three-year-old onto his lap.

"Uncie Darry guess what?" asked Alice

"What?" replied Darry, trying to keep from laughing, this whole thing was adorable

"Ebby's chickie pecked Daddy yesterday, it was funny, daddy had to put a bandaid on it" laughed Alice. Darry winced at the thought of getting pecked by a chicken hard enough to bleed, he felt bad for Johnny.

"Is your daddy ok?" asked Darry

"Mama kissed his booboo now he's all better," said Alice happily

"Uncle Soda and Two-Bit and Steve and I are all coming you see you and your brothers and sister and parents next week," said Darry

"YAY" exclaimed the happy three-year-old, Darry was her favorite uncle. All the kids had their favorite uncles, they were always wanting to ride on their shoulders.

"Sweetie can I talk to your mama for a minute?" asked Darry, it still felt odd calling Ponyboy their mama. Alice handed the phone to Pony

"Yeah Dare"

"Hey Kiddo, the four of us will be up there Monday night, the usual two-week stay," said Darry

"Sounds good, tell Soda I have a surprise for him," said Pony

"What?" asked Darry

"Can't tell, you guys will see on Monday" said Pony

"MAMA IT'S BEEN A MINUTE I WANNA TALK TO UNCIE" shouted the three-year-old, Darry chuckled, Alice might look just like Pony but she was definitely Dally's daughter. Pony shook his head and gave the phone back to his daughter who rambled on a long obviously made up story until it was time for her to take a bath. Pony picked the phone back up.

"Hey Dare, I got to go give her a bath, she was playing in the hay pile all afternoon, I'll see you guys on Monday, Dally finally finished the other guest rooms so tell Two-Bit he doesn't have to sleep on the couch anymore," said Pony

"I will, see you soon little brother," said Darry

"See you soon Dare," said Pony and they both hung up. Darry then turned to Soda

"Now tell me again why we're having breakfast for dinner?" asked Darry

"Because Johnny taught me how to make good bread and I wanted to try the recipe," said Soda

"Fine," said Darry, rolling his eyes as he cut into the french toast. It tasted well…..

"Soda did you use our entire last bottle of syrup?" asked Darry lowly

"Maybe," said Soda, ashamedly

"Even after I told you I needed it for my coffee and the pancakes I was going to be making," said Darry

"We're getting more" whined Soda. Monday came and the gang was at the familiar log cabin on the large Canadian farm. They were suddenly bombarded by four kids under ten, Alice jumped into Darry's arms

"UNCIE DARRY!" she squealed in his ear

"Hey princess" smiled Darry, Pony came out of the house following his kids, he shook his head amused at their action.

"Hey guys" smiled Pony hugging his friends and brothers.

"Ebony, Jackson, did you two finish your chores?" asked Pony

"Yes mama," the twins said in unison

"Good, can you help your uncles take their things into the house then wash up for dinner, daddy is making pot roast," said Pony

"You said you had a surprise for me?" asked Soda, Pony grinned

"Common, it is outback," said Pony, he led the gang out to the stable and Soda heard a familiar bray of a horse that he hadn't hear in years

"Is that?" asked Soda. Pony's smiled widened. Soda opened the stable door and saw a familiar ornery stallion.

"Mickey Mouse!" exclaimed Soda

"Dally went to the Kentucky Derby and made a deal with the owner, if Mickey lost he'd be ours, if he won the guy would keep him, needless to say, he's your now Soda" said Pony smiling, Soda went over to the horse, Mickey Mouse sniffed the man and gave a delighted whinney when he recognized the scent, he began nuzzling Soda who pet his muzzle.

"Thank you, little brother, thank you so so so much," said Soda pulling Ponyboy into a hug.

"We even got you your own monogrammed riding gear," said Pony pulling down the saddle and riding equipment.

"So you buy one brother a horse but nothing for me?" Darry fake pouted

"Your present is in your room" laughed Pony

"I was joking," said Darry

"I wasn't," said Pony. Darry walked into the brand new guest room and saw a small black kitten with little white paws, he melted, he loved cats.

"She's all yours Dare, our main barn cat had a litter and we sold all but this one kitten, I know how much you love cats," said Pony, Darry had the purring ball of fluff in his arms

"What's her name?" asked Darry, scratching the kitten behind the ears

"That's up to you," said Pony. Darry looked at the fluffy little furball with her big blue eyes and tiny paws.

"I'll name her Socks," said Darry, he sat on the bed to play with the sweet little kitten

"Just going to warn you now, she's a cuddle bug, she'll crawl into the covers with you and keep you awake purring," said Pony

"Thanks, Pony, I love her," said Darry gently snuggling the kitten, it was adorable to see such a large man cuddle a tiny kitten. The other two went into their rooms and found pets too.

"Pony how did you know I always wanted a parrot?" asked Two-Bit as the bird perched on his shoulder

"Lucky guess, you two have a lot in common, neither of you shut up" laughed Pony

"I'm gonna name him Pluto" laughed Two-Bit. Steve walked into his room and found a puppy

"I know you've been having a hard time getting around lately, this little fella is trained to be able to help you get around and do stuff easier, all his paperwork and his harness is in the duffle bag in the closet, he's a yellow lab/great Dane mix, so he's going to get big" said Pony

"What's his name?" asked Steve, petting his new service puppy

"We decided to name him Pontiac, short for Pontiac GTO," said Pony. Steve smiled as the dog licked his face

"I love him, thanks Pone," said Steve as the puppy curled up onto his lap.

"We had a really big crop this year and decided to splurge on the presents" smiled Pony

"I don't suppose we could get some extra syrup this time, Soda decided to waste our last bottle on french toast," said Darry, glaring at Soda. Johnny laughed

"We thought you might ask that five bottles each, as I said, we had a really good harvest this year, on everything," said Johnny. Just then Dally came in from the field, they had hired several helpers because they had so much land they could manage it all by themselves. Pony greeted Dally with a kiss and bro-hugged all the guys

"I gotta go shower before dinner, I'll see you guy in a bit," said Dally. That night after dinner all the gang could be seen playing with their new pets, Soda was riding Mickey Mouse, he'd been out there for hours happier than a pig in a mud puddle. Darry's kitten had crawled in the pocket of his hoodie and was purring so hard she was practically vibrating. Steve was sitting in an armchair with his puppy in his lap and Two-Bit was trying to teach Pluto how to make different sound effects. Dally was reading the four kids bedtime stories, he came out of Alice's room hoarse and in need a stiff drink.

"Can I get any of you something to drink?" asked Dally standing in front of the liquor cabinet.

"Bourbon," said Darry

"Whiskey," said Steve

"Beer," said Two-Bit. Soda had just come in from riding

"I'll also have a beer, but something sweeter," said Soda

"We got mead," said Dally

"Never tried it," said Soda.

"I'll just have wine Dal," said Johnny

"Pone, honey you want anything while I'm out here?" asked Dally

"I'm good," said Pony. Dally came out with all the drinks before sitting in his favorite chair and putting on his reading glasses and grabbing a book he'd been working on reading, his own glass of scotch in his hand. The fire was crackling, all the guys were talking and catching up. Socks had crawled out from Darry's pocket and onto his shoulder and was licking his neck, trying to groom her new human.

"Hey little furball, that tickles" laughed Darry gently taking her off his shoulder and putting her in his lap before stroking her

"Pony how am going to be able to ride Mickey mouse if I go home?" asked Soda

"He'll still be here every time you come to visit Soda, he's your horse he just lives here and we take care of him for you when you ain't here," said Pony

"I'll have to come up a whole lot more often," said Soda

"Either that or just make your visits longer," said Pony

"Nah you'd get sick of us," said Soda playfully. Pony yawned

"I'm going to hit the hay, see you all in the morning, bright and early," said Pony

"Babe, remember, you ain't doing nothing for a while" warned Johnny

"Yeah I know" groaned Pony.

"Why?" asked a curious Sodapop

"We're having another baby," said Pony

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" asked Darry all excited

"Slipped my mind," said Pony honestly

"Pony, Bed, now," said Johnny, Pony stuck his tongue out at Johnny but went to bed anyway.

"You guys should head to bed too, tomorrow is blueberry harvesting day, and we got a lot of work to do with those berries," said Johnny before following Pony.

"I'll be along in a minute you two," said Dally as he drained the last of his glass.

"So I assume no white clothes tomorrow?" asked Two-Bit

"Yep, Steve and Soda, you two are going to be helping Johnny make the blueberry jams, jellies and preserves, Darry and Two-Bit, you two are helping me with the harvest," said Dally

"Ra, helping with the harvest, ra" squawked Pluto, everyone chuckled and Two-Bit went to go put the bird in his cage. Darry got into bed, little Socks curled up next to him. Soda was in the next room, his room conveniently had a window that opened right into Mickey Mouse's stable, the horse was currently chewing Soda's pajama sleeve. Steve was in bed, Pontiac curled up by his feet at the end of his bed, Steve smile at his new puppy before pulling him up closer to him and nuzzling his fur, Pontiac licked Steve's nose. Two-Bit had placed Pluto's cage next to the bed, the bird wouldn't shut up until two-bit put a blanket over the cage. Suddenly Darry's door opened and little Alice came in, tears in her eyes. Darry sat up, placed Socks in the cat bed next to his bed and pulled the crying three-year-old into his arms

"What's wrong princess, what are you doing up so late?" asked Darry softly

"I had a nightmare uncie Darry, can I sleep with you?" she asked

"Why do you want to sleep with me and not your parent's," asked Darry

"Dad snores," said Alice, Darry chuckled he could hear Dally's snores from down the hall.

"Ok princess," said Darry as he let his niece crawl into the covers with him. Socks had clawed her way back onto the bed and were now asleep on Darry's head. Pony had heard his daughter crying and saw her go into Darry's room, he stifled a laugh at her explanation of why she didn't want to sleep with her parents. He thought it was so sweet how his youngest daughter looked up to her uncle, in much the same way Pony had always looked up to Soda. Pony thought about how Ebony's favorite uncle was Two-Bit while Jasper was always following Steve and Jackson idolized Sodapop. Pony went back to bed after making sure his baby girl was fast asleep.

"What was wrong with Alice?" asked Johnny sleepily

"Nightmare, she went to Darry, apparently Dally snores are too loud for her" chuckled Pony

"As long as she's asleep," said Johnny. Pony snuggled into the embrace of the two men he loved most in the world.

"You changed you know," said Johnny

"We all did, we had to, you aren't the scared 16 years old anymore, you'd face down a tiger and socs for our kids, the old Johnny wouldn't be that brave," said Pony

"I'm just saying your head isn't in the clouds as often and you smile a lot more," said Johnny

"I have six good reasons to keep my head on the earth, and one more reason on the way," said Pony as he snuggled into Johnny's embrace. The next morning they were all up bright and early, Steve took Pontiac out for a walk. The animals were all fed and watered, Soda loved taking care of all the horses and riding Mickey Mouse. The older two kids were helping with the blueberry harvest and Pony was keeping the younger two busy by teaching them how to read, write and count. Steve came back and started to help Johnny prep the kitchen for canning and jarring the blueberries. When the boys came back in for lunch Darry couldn't believe how stained his hands and shirt were. The whole lot of them were in the living room eating sandwiches and drinking fresh grape juice, Alice was insistent on sitting on Darry's lap. Pony watched how his brothers doted on all the kids

"So any wedding bells in any of your futures?" asked Pony

"Evie and I are discussing it," said Steve

"What about the rest of you?" asked Pony

"I've started dating that Soc girl, Marcia," said Two-Bit

"Great, I could tell she liked you a lot," said Johnny

"Darry? Soda? Am I going to get any nieces or nephews from you two?" asked Pony smirking

"Common Darry, tell our little bro about the raven-haired beauty you sneak out to see" chuckled Soda

" Fine, I'm dating this woman named Abigail," said Darry

"How long have you two been together?" asked Pony

"A few months," said Darry

"What about you Soda? Or were you waiting till you got a horse to be able to ride into the sunset?" asked Pony

"Sandy came back to town," said Soda, everyone stopped talking

"And?" pressed Pony

"She brought her daughter with her, turns out the sweet little thing is my kid, after all, the wedding is in a few months," said Soda

"And when were you going to tell me this?" asked Darry

"I kept forgetting," said Soda

"Argue about it later you two, Soda you better tell Sandy that you two are having your wedding up here, no ifs ands or buts," said Pony

"I suppose it would be good for Ginger to meet her cousins," said Soda

"Get Sandy on the phone now and get her to agree to have the wedding here, Johnny can do all the cooking, Dally can set stuff up, I won't take no for an answer Soda. Steve, you better tell Evie the same thing, all of you are getting married up here" said Ponyboy seriously.

"It would be cheaper," said Darry.

"Exactly," said Ponyboy. Soda went to go talk to Sandy, the thought of a wedding on a farm in Canada didn't sound romantic at first until Soda mentioned how much they'd save on cost.

"We better get back to work," said Dally draining the last of his glass and putting his hat back on.

"Pone, why don't Ebony and Jackson go to school?" asked Darry

"I home school them, the nearest school is like 20 miles away," said Pony

"I guess that makes sense," said Darry

"Yeah all our kids inherited Pony's brains" chuckled Johnny

"Oh stop, you two a smart too ya know," said Pony

"Not like you babe," said Johnny

"Flirt" teased Pony

"You love me" laughed Johnny

"You bet I do," said Pony


	3. Love

**Heres part three of my runaway family story. hope you guys enjoy. I own nothing but the plot of this story**

"GINGER SPRITE CURTIS! FOR THE LAST TIME NO TERRORIZING THE CHICKENS!" shouted Sodapop who was setting up the tent for his and Sandy's wedding. Ginger was amusing herself by chasing the multiple chickens that had escaped the paddock. The ten-year-old looked down

"Sorry daddy" she apologized

"How about you go play with your cousins" suggested Soda

"They had chores to do," said Ginger

"Why don't you find one of your uncles to help, I'm sure Uncle Johnny would want a taste tester for all the food he's making," said Soda, the ten-year-old shrugged and ran off. Pony came out of the house carrying their newest daughter Vanessa, she was barely a month old and had the biggest blue eyes. She was the spitting image of Dally with her blond hair in little wisps being blown by the wind. Soda secured the last cord of the tent and went over to his little brother and youngest niece.

"Someone just get up from their nap?" asked Soda tickling the baby. Pony smiled and yawned

"You could say that," said Pony tiredly

"The first month is always rough huh," said Soda

"The first year, once they start sleeping the full night it gets easier," said Pony

"Sandy is talking about having more kids but we have so many nieces and nephews more kids would be a bit much, especially with Steve and Evie talking about kids," said Soda

"Yeah, look Soda, I really need to get some of the kids' schoolwork papers graded, could you look after Vanessa for an hour or so," asked Pony

"Sure!" exclaimed Soda taking the one-month-old from his brother's arms.

"Hey Nessy, you and I are going to have some fun," Soda told the baby who gurgled and grabbed his hair

"Hey! Watch it, Uncle Soda needs his hair to look good for Auntie Sandy" exclaimed Soda with a laugh. Vanessa let out a happy little screechy laugh as she tugged harder. Sandy heard the laughter of the baby and came over.

"Aw is little Nessy being a silly girl," asked Sandy tickling the little girl causing her to screech with laughter

"Ow, that was in my ear" laughed Soda handing Vanessa to Sandy.

"Where's Ginger?" asked Sandy

"She was chasing the chickens again so I told her to go see if Johnny needed a taste tester," said Soda

"Did Johnny say what flavor he was making the cake?" asked Sandy

"He said something about a five-layer angel food cake with his award-winning strawberry jam between the layers and the frosting being whipped cream decorated with edible flowers and other fresh fruit served alongside his own homemade strawberry walnut ice cream," said Soda

"What is the rest of our menu like?" asked Sandy, Soda had told Johnny to do whatever he wanted in terms of food.

"He said the salad course is a dandelion greens and pecans salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh baby spinach, and a raspberry pomegranate vinaigrette. The main course is a balsamic marinated chicken breast served on a raspberry reduction with sides of roasted green beans and garlic risotto. The Horderves are deviled eggs and cucumber sandwiches. Drinks are wine, champagne, sparkling water, and iced tea" said Soda

"Are we sure the kids are going to like all that?" asked Sandy worried about how picky of an eater her daughter was

"Kids get mac and cheese with milk to drink and a side of broccoli and little pieces of ham in the mac and cheese. Johnny also said he made a kiddie cake, a nice little vanilla cake with whipped cream and homemade vanilla ice cream, chocolate wasn't a good idea with all the white cloth that is going to be around.

"Smart, also he seems to have themed the menu around summer," said Sandy.

"He gets creative, Dally has his fields, Pony has his books and teaching the kids, and Johnny has his kitchen," said Soda

"I wish we could live here, it's so beautiful." sighed Sandy

"Do you want me to ask my brother if there was any chance we could move here? I'm sure they'd appreciate the extra help" said Soda

"That sounds amazing," said Sandy

"It is a farm so we'd be working a lot" cautioned Soda

"I don't care," said Sandy

"I'll go talk to my little brother then," said Soda kissing Sandy's cheek. Soda walked into the house, leaving Vanessa with Sandy. He walked into the little study room where Pony was grading the kids' math exercises

"Hey Pone, can I ask you something"

"Sure but where's Vanessa?" asked Pony worriedly

"Sandy is holding her," said Soda

"Ok what do you need," said Pony with a sigh of relief

"Sandy and I were talking and we were wondering if we could maybe move in with you guys, she loves it here and I know you guys like having extra help around the house and farm," said Soda. Pony sighed

"Soda as much as I want to just say yes, it's not entirely up to me, as you will learn, relationships are partnerships and I need to discuss this with Johnny and Dally," said Pony

"Come on Pone they'll say yes" pleaded Soda

"As much as that might be true, I won't go behind their backs on this, especially since this is a huge decision. The house is already crowded Soda, If you and Sandy live here with Ginger we'd either have to build another addition on the house or a whole new house entirely, which is more work on Dally and then it's more mouths to feed meaning more work for Johnny. I can't make a decision like this without talking it over with them. And then there are my kids and your kid, I know the cousins get along when they visit but personalities can clash after long periods of time. I have to think about how my kids might feel having to share things with another person for longer periods of time, I also need to think about the fact that you and Sandy are bound to have more kids meaning the house will get even more crowded." said Pony

"Can you ask them tonight?" asked Soda

"We can start the discussions about it but it's not an overnight decision Soda," said Pony calmly. Soda had to double back, his little brother wasn't fourteen anymore and certainly wasn't going to say yes to everything his big brother wanted anymore, Pony was 24 after all and a Parent, he had grown up very fast and that caused his outlook on things to become very realistic.

"Ok" sighed Soda sadly

"Sorry Soda, this is what happens when you have a family and a household to run, you grow up," said Pony. Soda walked out to find Sandy playing with Vanessa

"So what did he say?" asked Sandy hopefully

"He needs to discuss it with Johnny and Dally and his kids if they say yes then we have the go-ahead but it might take a little time before we could move in," said Soda

"Well that's better than a flat out no," said Sandy

"That's the thing, I think the more he thought about it the more he seemed to be on the verge of saying flat out no," said Soda

"Why?" asked Sandy

"Sandy look around us, all this success and bounty had to start from nothing and come from back-breaking work, I am repeatedly reminded of how tough it is for the three of them to keep this place as amazing as it is and raise a growing family. Whenever I come up here I watch Pony teach those kids so they can go to college, I watch Dally work from before dawn to late at night in the fields with Pony staying up to cuddle with him and remind him how much he's loved so that the work doesn't drag him down, I watch Johnny slave over the stove to cook for his family and us, sure they all love what they do but it exhausts them physically and mentally to keep this place so picture perfect and they struggled so much those first few years, getting the farm running, figuring out parenting. I guess my brother might be a bit ticked at me for not thinking about this when I asked if we could move here" sighed Soda

"But we can help out around the farm and stuff" pleaded Sandy

"Sandy, you know how bad my leg has been ever since Nam, and Pony's right our family is only going to grow, that means more mouths for them to feed and more people in the house," said Soda

"But he offered it once to Darry" whimpered Sandy

"Darry can help a lot more in the fields than I can and at that time he didn't have a girlfriend so it would only have been one more person who would have been pulling their own weight, you, I and Ginger would be more of a hindrance than a help. They might still say yes, but I don't think we should get our hopes up" said Soda. That night everyone was in their respective rooms, Pony snuggled next to his exhausted boyfriends

"Soda came and asked me something today," said Pony

"Let me guess he and Sandy want to move here, little Ginger kept saying that her mommy loves it here and wants to live here, then she pleaded with those doe eyes that only little kids can master" sighed Johnny

"I told Soda I had to discuss it with you two first," said Pony

"The house is already crowded and I really don't want to keep having to build this place into a log mansion," said Dally irritably, the days work making him more short-tempered than normal

"I know Dal," said Pony gently rubbing Dally's shoulder

"As much as I love our niece, she can get a bit, underfoot, I mean our kids have been taught to stay out of the way when we are working but Soda and Sandy's parenting style is a whole league away from ours, mainly because Ginger has the flighty personality of Soda and the slightly spoiled brat attitude that Sandy has some of. Another kid in the house that isn't ours would be a challenge" said Johnny

"She is a handful, and they are bound to have more just like her" admitted Dally

"There are points where I want to yell at Soda for how he handles her. I don't think if they lived with us I'd be able to hold my tongue more than a week" said Pony

"Yeah, I didn't really appreciate having to suddenly have a ten-year-old in my kitchen with no warning, especially since I was decorating the cake and needed to be precise," said Johnny. Suddenly a shrill cry came from the foot of the bed. Pony got up and lifted Vanessa into his arms.

"What this Time?" asked Dally

"Bottle," said Pony

"I got it," said Johnny getting up to go to the kitchen

"Might as well check the diaper while we're at it," said Dally taking his daughter into his arms. Dally got her out of her slightly soggy diaper and into a fresh dry one. Johnny came back with the bottle and fed the little girl. Suddenly Ebony came into the room

"Something wrong sweetie?" asked Pony

"Ginger won't go to sleep, she keeps jumping on the bed, I tried to tell her to stop but she won't," said Ebony

"Do you want to sleep with us tonight?" asked Pony softly as he put the now sleeping Vanessa into the crib.

"Yeah," said Ebony climbing into bed with her parents. Pony Johnny and Dally shared a look, their decision had been made for them. The next morning was wedding day and all Pony's kids were up before dawn to get the chores done before changing into their formal wear. Pony approached Soda early that morning

"Look Soda, I talked it over with Johnny and Dally last night, I'm sorry but we are going to have to say no on your request to live with us. The house is too crowded already and as much as we love our niece, Ginger is just too much of a handful for us to deal with on a day to day basis" said Pony

"I understand," said Soda

"We can, however, give you the money to get your own place, our wedding present to you, just find a house you want that's reasonably priced and we'll give you the money for it," said Pony. Soda tackled him in a hug. The wedding went as planned and all the kids and guests had a great time. There was a minor hiccup with Darry and his girlfriend breaking up and Darry asking Pony if he could stay a month or so to get over it.

"Sure Dare, but I warn you, the harvest is coming up so Dally is going to work you into the ground" warned Pony. Sandy looked ready to protest all this but Soda reminded her that Darry was now single and he was only asking for an extended visit, not to live with Pony. Darry smiled and hugged his brother. That night Pony was in his favorite rocking chair trying to get Vanessa to sleep.

"This week has been a fiasco" sighed Dally flopping onto the bed.

"More so than usual?" asked Pony

"Considering the wedding, the tomato harvest and the preparing of the root cellar as well as wine season, yeah," said Dally.

"What do you need?" asked Pony

"You to come to bed and let me hold you," said Dally

"As soon as I get Vanessa to sleep" nodded Pony. Dally came over and kissed the baby's forehead then Pony's.

"You are the best thing to ever happen to me" smiled Dally. Pony put Vanessa in the crib and crawled into bed, his two boyfriends on either side of him.

"Is it wrong that I sometimes wish my the gang never found us?" asked Pony

"It was a lot nicer when it was just the three of us and the kids" admitted Johnny

"Part of me wants them to leave us alone for a while, but I know that would be wrong" sighed Pony

"Heres an Idea, lets go on vacation and leave the gang in charge of the farm for a week, put a schedule on the fridge, tell the farmhands what needs to be done and let the gang think they're in charge, they'll get to see what our life is like on a day to day basis and we get our alone time" suggested Dally

"Dal you're a genius" exclaimed Pony before kissing Dally hard.

"I get good ideas from time to time" laughed Dally


	4. Unexpected responsibilities

"Ok The farmhands are in charge of the harvest, we've left a list of chores and responsibilities on the fridge, the kids know what to do in case of an emergency, in the case of an unexpected snowstorm the animals need to be immediately placed into the barn and coop and given food and water, the crops this time of year are root vegetables so they can be salvaged," said Dally to the gang as he loaded the truck for their vacation to Italy.

"Don't worry Dal, we've got this, we've seen how you guys do things," said Steve confidently.

"Dare, lesson plans for the kids are in my office, they need to have their homework done before dinner and their chores are done before bed," said Pony

"Got it," said Darry

"You three have fun, we can handle this," said Soda confidently. Pony bit his lip but nodded, hugging his kids goodbye.

"Don't worry mom, we can make sure they follow the list," said Ebony

"We'll see you all in two weeks," said Johnny as he hugged the kids

"Be good for your uncles," said Dally as he hugged the kids. Then Pony got up in Two-Bit's face

"If I find out that you made them deliberately disobey the rules we set, I WILL END YOU, I know you Matthews" threatened Pony

"Don't worry Pone, your kids don't listen to me anyway" laughed Two-Bit

"Because we told them not to, ten-year-old Ebony has more maturity than you," said Johnny

"You three should get going or you'll miss your flight, we've got this," said Darry. The three parents got into the car and drove off. The kids went inside to finish their chores and Darry went to check the list of stuff that needed to be done.

"Um this might be harder than we thought," muttered Darry as Jackson came into the kitchen to get a glass of juice.

"Let me see that," said Jackson taking the list from his uncle and skimming it.

"Wow, this is all they have you doing? This is nothing" laughed Jackson, considering this was a ten-page list each page was double-sided, Darry looked nervous.

"OK look, half this stuff is mom getting too detailed, most of it is common sense, and a good portion is just chores that me and my siblings need to get done, this isn't that hard, I'll have a simpler version done for you in 15 minutes" said Jackson taking a sip of his grape juice

"Could you also show me how your daddy makes coffee, he doesn't tend to let us in here, this is my first time in this kitchen," said Darry sheepishly

"French press, it's in the third cabinet on the left," said Jackson

"Kiddo you are going to have to help me out a lot with this stuff over the next two weeks," said Darry ruffling the ten-year-old's black hair, he was the spitting image of Johnny but was all Pony in terms of his personality. Jackson grabbed some paper and went over to the kitchen table with the list and started going through it and summarizing the long thing.

"Ok so I've broken this down into tasks for each person excluding mine and my siblings stuff, we know what we need to do every day, there's the daily chores and then the odds and ends tasks mom wants you guys to do, like fix the roof and make the different jams that need to be shipped out and the root cellar needs to be stocked with the harvests from field G, all other products need to be labeled and shipped to the appropriate locations, and mom specifically wants you to handle mine and my siblings schooling" said Jackson running through the list.

"Thanks, little buddy," said Darry

"No problem uncle Darry, mom tends to get long-winded when doing instructions, I think it's a result of having to explain things to Dad and having to go through the "Why?" phase four times, Mom gets kinda detailed in explaining anything. Dad is partial to the "Because I said so and that's how I want it" method, while Daddy just shakes his head and says if we are going to be in here while he's working we need to be helping." said Jackson

"Your parents definitely have different methods of handling all of you" laughed Darry

"Yeah, hey do you think tonight you could tell us stories about mom when he was young?" asked Jackson

"Sure little buddy," said Darry

"Also can I help you when you fix the roof? Dad never lets me help him," asked Jackson

"Does he have a reason?" asked Darry

"He says it's too dangerous because I'm only ten, and mom won't let him take me up there," said Jackson

"Never thought Ol' Dally would be worried about safety considering what he did when he was your age, but your mom would flay me alive if he found out I let you on the roof, so how about I show you how to climb the ladder to pass me the tools I need" compromised Darry

"OK!" exclaimed Jackson. Suddenly Soda came in covered in straw and feathers but carrying a basket of eggs.

"Stupid feathered menaces" grumbled Soda plopping the basket on the counter and started washing them like he had seen Johnny do countless times

"Which chicken attacked you?" giggled Jackson

"I think it was Maggie" grumbled Soda

"Huh, Susan normally goes after Dad, Maggie is normally pretty friendly, at least one of the cows didn't kick you, Dad always has problems with Jezebel," said Jackson

"Which one is she again, so I can stay clear of her?" asked Soda

"The one with the white bands of fur around her two front legs, Dad says they look like handcuffs," said Jackson

"Oh, the mean one who bosses the others around," said Soda

"Yeah, I don't like her," said Jackson

"She actually tolerates me enough to milk her," said Darry

"Wow, Daddy is usually the only one who can do that," said Jackson

"Two-Bit is getting the eggs next time" grumbled Soda

"Um

Uncle Soda, you have hay in your hair," chuckled Jackson. The next week was a chaotic mess that left the gang exhausted both physically and mentally.

"How the heck do they do this?" asked Soda one night after collapsing onto the couch

"No clue, I hurt in places I didn't know could hurt" groaned Steve

"They were going easy on us when we visit" groaned Soda

"Shut up, my head hurts" groaned Two-Bit

"Lightweights" chuckled Darry fully used to most of this.

"Um uncle Darry, I don't understand this problem," said Ebony holding her math workbook

"Which one?" asked Darry

"This one" she pointed to the equation

"Why is your mom having you do the quadratic equation? You're only ten" asked Darry puzzled

"I'm ahead of my siblings, mom said I was reading before I could walk and I was doing basic addition soon after I learned my numbers, I surpassed my grade level years ago," said, Ebony

"You are definitely Pony's kid," said Darry before showing the little girl how to use the quadratic equation.

"Who's in charge of dinner tonight?" groaned Soda

"I wish we could order pizza" groaned Steve

"Daddy made some pizzas and put them in the freezer, he thought this might happen, just put them in the oven for 20 minutes" giggled Ebony

"Johnny's awesome, have I ever said that before?" asked Two-bit

"No, but who's getting up to put them in the oven?" asked Steve

"I got it" said Darry rolling his eyes at the drama. After another week the three parents came home.

"Well the house is still standing, and the animals aren't running loose," said Dally

"The fields look good too," said Johnny. They went inside to find a totally exhausted gang and the kids doing their worksheets.

"We're home," said Pony

"Oh thank God, I don't think I could take another day of this" groaned Steve, Darry rolled his eyes

"Drama king, anyways how was your trip?" asked Darry

"It was good," said Dally as Pony rushed off and came back cuddling Vanessa

"But I don't think we're going to take another vacation for a while without the kids," said Johnny

"Pony missed his babies too much?" asked Darry

"You'll understand when you have kids Dare," said Pony

"The kids didn't cause any problems did they?" asked Dally, his eyes giving the kids an "I'm about to find out how you behaved" look.

"Perfect angels compared to you at their age," said Darry

"So no issues?" asked Johnny

"Alice was her normal clingy self, but the older two were very helpful and well behaved, the only major issue was Vanessa refusing to sleep before I sang the same lullaby five times in a row," said Darry

"Awe did my baby miss her mama?" cooed Pony to his little girl

"Also Ebony has started on basic trig, she grasps mathematical concepts and application better than anyone I've ever met, she a math genius Pone," said Darry

"All my kids are geniuses, just in different fields, Ebony is an academic genius, Jackson can read people like a book, Alice somehow can play any instrument she picks up with easy, and Jasper has this uncanny talent for knowing exactly where I put something no matter what it is he knows where it is," said Pony

"MOOOOOOMMMMM! You're embarrassing us" groaned Jackson

"I'm your mother and I'm proud of you, therefore it's my right to brag about your brilliance," said Pony. That night the three were back in their own room, Vanessa in her cradle.

"It's going to be a little hard to get back into the routine after that vacation" admitted Johnny

"The kids will drag us out of bed if we aren't up in time," said Dally. Pony rested his head on Dally's chest

"I want more kids," said Pony

"We have five," said Johnny

"I know but, Vanessa is growing us so fast and Ebony and Jackson are almost 11, I want another baby," said Pony

"Honey, the kids are going to keep needing their own rooms and I don't want to have to keep expanding the house," said Dally rubbing Pony's back

"But we can just kick the guys to the living room when they visit, it's our house after all," said Pony

"Babe, it's too late right now to discuss this, let's get some sleep and we'll talk more about this in the morning," said Johnny kissing Pony

"Ok" sighed Pony


	5. Daddy Darry

**I'm Back, this chapter is more Darry centric but pure fluff like always. I own nothing in this story, and if anyone gives me crap about Pit Bulls then they can stop reading this, THEY ARE ADORABLE AND SWEET DOGS, IT'S BAD OWNERS THAT TURN THEM VICIOUS.**

Darry woke up one morning, about to go to work, thankful that he didn't have to work two jobs anymore, the house was quiet with just him living there after Soda and Sandy had moved out. Darry opened the door and almost tripped over a basket. Inside was a beautiful little baby girl and a note.

_Dear Darry_

_This is your kid, I found out I was pregnant after we broke up, she's yours I can't raise her. Her name is Luna. All her paperwork is in the basket._

_-Abigail_

Darry sighed and looked at the cooing baby in his arms.

"Well now the house won't be so quiet, I'm going to have to call out of work today to get stuff for you," said Darry tickling the baby girl, she had tiny wisps of black hair and the bluest eyes ever. After calling his boss and explaining a few things he started to make a mental list of what he needed to do, he didn't exactly have much experience raising a baby, the most he ever did was babysit. He knew he needed diapers and formula but that the only things he knew.

"Ok step one, call Pony and ask what to do, step two buy the stuff, step three find where Socks wandered off too," said Darry before spotting the cat on the top of the fridge

"Ok step three did itself," said Darry. As he was talking he noticed Luna giggling.

"I really hope this won't be hard, Pony makes parenting look easy" sighed Darry as he dialed his brother's number.

"_Hello?" _

"_Dally?"_

"_Yeah, hey Dare what's up?" _

"_Can you put my brother on? I need to talk to him" _

"_Sure"_

"_Hello?"_

"_Hey Pone"_

"_Oh hey Darry what's up?" _

"_I have a kid"_

"_WHAT? HOW WITH WHO?"_

"_Abigail found out she was pregnant after we broke up, she just dumped little Luna on my doorstep"_

"_Lemme guess, you have no clue what to do?"_

"_Yup"_

"_Formula, Diapers, Crib, rattles, pacifiers, lots of baby clothes, and a high chair, baby gates, and stuffed animals. Get her registered with a pediatrician and find out what music puts her to sleep. How old is she?" _

"_A couple of days old I think" _

"_Ok, Formula, Diapers, car seat, and a crib are priority with clothes" _

"_Pony"_

"_Yeah Dare"_

"_Can one of you please come down here and help me, I don't know if I can do this"_

"_Yes you can Dare, trust me, the first few weeks are stressful but get into a routine and it will become easier, I can't come down there but If you bring Luna up here I can get the two of you into a routine and Dally can build the furniture you need, plus I have some of Vanessa's baby clothes that don't fit her anymore" _

"_Thanks, Pone, see you in a few days" _Darry hung up the phone and sighed. He'd call Soda after he got the stuff he needed to get through at least one day with the baby.

"Come on sweetheart, let's go get the things for you," said Darry, Luna gurgled. It hadn't even been an hour yet he was extremely attached to the little girl. Her tiny hand wrapped around Darry's finger and he cuddled her close.

"Maybe this will be easy, after all, she's half me and I know how to deal with myself" rationalized Darry before he realized how totally ridiculous that sounded. Suddenly Luna started crying.

"Aw, what's wrong sweetie? Don't worry Daddy is going to get a bunch of stuff for you" soothed Darry. He decided he needed someone to watch her while he went to the store, after calling Soda who came over pretty much right away he hopped in his truck and went to the store with the list. He came back to Soda cuddling his niece. After Darry got the bottle ready and set up the crib he took Luna from Soda's arms and got her changed into a fresh diaper and clean clothes before giving her the bottle.

"You'll do fine Dare, if I can be a parent then you definitely can," reassured Soda

"You never had to deal with a baby, remember, Ginger was already nine when you met her," said Darry

"Still Dare, you'll be fine, and Pony is only a phone call away," said Soda

"I'm going up to see him with Luna, I think I need to get her a passport quickly," said Darry

" Well I'm just the next street over if you need help," said Soda before heading out, leaving Darry and luna alone.

"Ok, I can do this" sighed Darry, of course, Luna chose that moment to make use of her diaper. Darry changed her, one thing that he knew how to do thanks to having so many nieces and nephews. Over the course of the day, Darry learned that his daughter was a little cuddle bug, loved being held by her daddy and was very fussy if not in his arms. Darry chuckled at remembering Pony's advice, a cuddly baby wasn't always an easy baby considering its kinda hard to do anything one-handed. Darry thought his brother was exaggerating, he loved how cuddly Luna was. He put the crib he had bought into his room, something told him that Luna being in a different room than him would mean very little sleep for both of them. He placed her down in the crib and she immediately started fussing once she couldn't feel Darry's arms around her.

"I know princess but you need to sleep here," soothed Darry, dammit he had only had her for a day and he was already extremely attached to her.

"I wonder if getting a dog would help, I know some breeds are extremely protective of infants," said Darry aloud. As if by some weird fate or whatever the heck controls the universe, Darry heard a whimper at the door. There on the doorstep, was a pit bull. It was rather skinny, not horribly so but noticeable for the dog's size.

"What is it with my doorstep today?" wondered Darry, the dog seemed to have been dumped on the side of the road and had wandered over to the nearest house. The dog licked Darry's hand.

"You seem friendly enough," said Darry, the dog barked and wagged his tail.

"Why would someone just dump such a cute dog?" asked Darry scratching the Dog's ear, this pup couldn't be more than a year old, it was black with a heart-shaped spot of white on one of its paws.

"Well, I took in a baby today, may as well go two for two with a dog," sighed Darry, thanking the whoever was up there that Pony sent him a monthly check for a couple of grand. The dog barked and nosed it's way past Darry into the house.

"Well looks like my list of things just go bigger. He called Pony again.

"_Hey Pone looks like I'm probably not going to come up for a good week or so actually, someone dumped a dog on my doorstep," _

"_Ok Dare," chuckled Pony._

"_I'll see you once I get stuff squared away," _

"_Ok, by Dare" _

Darry hung up and then wondered where the dog went. He found the dog on his bed, paw through the bars of Luna's crib, her tiny hand wrapped around the dog's paw. It was really cute.

"Hmm, what to name you?" wondered Darry looking at the sweet dog.

"You're a big boy, how about Thunder," said Darry stroking the dog's fur, Thunder wagged his tail. He seemed to be in pretty good health despite being on the skinny side, but some good kibble would fix that. Socks was curled up next to Thunder.

"How in the world did I become a dad and a dog owner on the same day, and how did such a perfect dog get dumped in the first place?" wondered Darry. He did notice that any time Luna got fussy, Thunder would move his paw slightly. Clearly the dog had been around babies before.

"Maybe your previous owners couldn't take care of you anymore," said Darry to the dog. Darry sighed and got ready for bed, today had been exhausting, tomorrow would be even busier with phone calls and appointments and tons of other things. Darry decided that the spare leash and collar, as well as the extra dog food he kept for when Steve came over with Pontiac, would get them through one night. Darry lay down in what was left of his bed, he felt Socks sprawl herself across the top of his head, purring. The two pets in bed did make it very warm, and Luna slept very soundly, only waking up a couple of times, once for a diaper change, once to be fed. The next morning Darry took Thunder out to the back yard and then got Luna into her new stroller so the three of them could go for a long walk, Thunder stayed very close to the stroller and kept looking at the napping Luna who was bundled up in a cute little pink onesie and white fuzzy coat.

"Maybe I have got this," said Darry that afternoon as he fed Luna, Thunder's head in his lap, Socks curled up on the back of the couch. The house certainly wasn't empty anymore. He had made several appointments, one with the vet to get Thunder checked over, one with a pediatrician to ensure Luna was healthy, and a few with city hall to get the proper tags for Thunder, a passport for Luna and to get a few bills paid. Darry sighed and turned on the TV, he was going to have to call one of the guys to babysit for him when he went back to work. He didn't even want to think of how much money he had spent today, between insurance crap, bills, baby and dog stuff, more cat litter and food, groceries, gas, and other items. Darry was exhausted, He had to fix the fence tomorrow so that Thunder could just be let out into the yard, but then he reasoned that with how protective Thunder was of Luna, that might not be an issue, the dog was very, very reluctant of leaving the baby. After a couple of weeks Darry loaded Luna, and thunder into the car and dropped Socks off at Soda's for the three weeks he'd be gone. Darry drove off to Pony's farm. Once he got there he was greeted by his little brother.

"Hey Dare, is this my little niece?" asked Pony

"Yeah, this is Luna," said Darry Thunder growled slightly at the unfamiliar person going towards Luna but sniffed Pony's hand and realized this person wasn't a threat.

"Protective puppy I see," said Pony

"From the instant, he came into the house he was by her side," said Darry. Pony tickled his new niece.

"Dally built another crib so she can sleep in your room," said Pony

"I really appreciate this Pone," said Darry

"I'm always happy to help," smiled Pony.

"What kind of formula do you give her?" asked Johnny

"Just a generic brand, I don't exactly know the differences in them," said Darry

"Hmm," said Johnny disapprovingly looking at the boxes of powder in the diaper bag, he had come up with his own baby formula recipe after finding out the general ingredients.

"Right, I want you to start her on some of the stuff I make, there are more vitamins and protein in it instead of preservatives and flavorings. I'm sure she'll like it better," said Johnny as the four men walked into the house. Johnny went to the kitchen and heated up some of the homemade baby formula. Luna ate it greedily.

"Wow, she normally takes twice that amount of time to finish her bottle," said Darry impressed.

"Johnny's been going to night classes to get his medical degree and license, he's jumped so far ahead of his class," said Pony, proud of his boyfriend.

"Pediatrics is my major, nutrition is my minor," said Johnny.

"There was a whole mess of legal stuff we had to get through, considering, but now we are legal Canadian citizens and our farm is nationally recognized," said Pony

"How long have you three been going through this legal stuff?" asked Darry

"Couple years, after you guys told us we were cleared of the charges in Tulsa there was a bit of an immigration kerfuffle and other stuff but everything is fine now, in fact, a good deal of our products, including the baby formula, will be on US shelves soon, once Johnny gets his degrees and the paperwork goes through, of course, we can just give you. Suddenly, Alice came barreling into the kitchen.

"UNCIE DARRY!" she squealed, running over and jumping into his arms ( Johnny was holding Luna)

"*Oof!* hey kiddo, you're getting a bit big to do that," laughed Darry. Thunder had heard the noise and had come to investigate.

"PUPPY!" exclaimed Alice, jumping down and running over to pet Thunder who licked her face. The four-year-old laughed, suddenly Vanessa came crawling into the room.

"Oh no, time for baby gates again, and it looks like someone learned to climb out of her crib," said Dally lifting the ten-month-old into his arms.

"Daddy," cooed Vanessa, snuggling into Dally's hold

"I thought all your kids called Johnny, Daddy and Dally was just Dad," said Darry confused

"Usually it starts out as Daddy and Dadda, Johnny being Dadda and Dally being Daddy, then the youngest just copy what their siblings call us," said Pony

"That must get confusing, trying to figure out which one of you each kid is referring to," said Darry, Dally shrugged

"Not really, the longer you've been a parent the more you pick up on subtle differences with your kids, it also helps that no matter what Pony is always Mama to them, so if something confuses us we just tell them to go find Mama," said Dally

"Wouldn't it be funny if one of your kids calls one of you Papa," said Darry

"Oh Hell No!" exclaimed Dally. Vanessa giggled at her father's outburst. Thunder could hear the sound of a giggling baby and went over to investigate the new little one in the room. He licked Vanessa's face.

"Ok Dare, spill, how the heck did you manage to get a dog that is so absolutely perfect with kids, with no training?" asked Pony

"No idea, I was just thinking about how it would be good to get a dog to be protective of Luna when this guy was dumped on my doorstep," said Darry

"Lucky bastard," grumbled Pony

"Language Pony," said Darry

"The kids hear worse from Dally," said Pony

"It's true, By the time Jackson was three he was swearing like a sailor, Pony wasn't happy," said Dally

"Not like I appreciated being called an asshole anytime I was potty training him," growled Pony

"That boy got so many time outs because of Dally's language," said Johnny

"Eventually we gave up trying to stop swearing because Jack started teaching Ebony and by the time Alice and Jasper started talking it was too late," said Pony

"Dally was on the couch a lot throughout potty training Jackson," said Johnny.

"I should probably put Luna down for her nap," said Darry taking his little girl back into his arms. Thunder looked conflicted, he didn't know which baby to follow, the one he knew, the one who was petting his ears or the one in the yellow-haired man's arms. Thunder whimpered, of course, Alice had brought out her play nail polish and had started painting Thunder's nails. He got up and followed his baby.

"Doggie come back!" exclaimed Alice.

"Alice, pets don't like having their nails painted," said Dally

"Fine, I'll paint momma's nails!" exclaimed Alice, Pony shook his head and let his little girl have her fun. Thunder lay on Darry's bed his head poking over the edge of Luna's cradle, watching the little girl sleep.

"Good boy," said Darry petting Thunder's ears. Darry sighed, his life had gotten crazy again but this was a good crazy.


End file.
